The fallout from the controversial impeachment of former Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu has taken another acrimonious turn. In a move seen as an escalation of the political tussle, state authorities have demolished the security outpost stationed in front of Shaibu’s residence within Benin’s Government Reservation Area.
The demolition, carried out by officials from the State Network and Public Works Volunteers on Sunday, represents the latest salvo in the pitched battle between the estranged deputy governor and the administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki. Shaibu was impeached just last week by the State Assembly over allegations of leaking official secrets and perjury.
While the state commissioner for roads initially distanced his ministry from the demolition exercise, an unnamed official involved admitted it was a direct response to Shaibu’s new status as a private citizen following his removal from office. The makeshift security post, which shared a fence with the nearby golf course, had served as a temporary shelter for the former deputy governor’s security personnel.
Shaibu’s camp has decried the demolition as yet another vindictive act from a “wicked” state government, meant to persecute him for pursuing his political ambitions. An aide alleged the security post was self-funded by Shaibu rather than constructed from state coffers.
The former deputy governor has consistently rejected his impeachment as a “witch-hunt”, vowing to legally challenge the decision which he believes stemmed from his perceived intentions to succeed Obaseki in 2024. Shaibu had enjoyed a once-cordial relationship with his former boss before the bitter falling out.
As the two camps now exchange salvos, the public demolition spectacle has further frayed political tensions within Edo State. It paints an unseemly picture of government machinery being weaponized to perceived partisan ends.
The demolition also raises pertinent security concerns about the well-being of a recently impeached deputy governor now bereft of even basic protective facilities at his residence. As Shaibu’s legal challenge gathers steam, all eyes are on whether cooler heads can prevail to douse the raging political fires across Edo State.
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Edo govt demolishes Shaibu’s residence security post published in Punch By Adeyinka Adedipe